Hampstead 4’s Vs Black Horse

A rainy morning made way for bright sunshine in time for the Heathens first home game since October, and their first league game since before Christmas, already having 2 oppos call off in the previous two weeks.

Having won but been pushed hard away to Black Horse back in September, Hampstead were ready for a contest with players itching to get onto the pitch. Rory Holmes kicked off, failing to send the ball 10, it was the only mistake he made all game. Black Horse took control in the scrum but the Hampstead pack did what they do best and in the loose got straight in the face of the half backs and a turnover rapidly followed. A few phases taking D1 and D2 (see Coops, we listen) drew the defence in and the egg was spun wide and, making his Hampstead début, JC powered over the line.

Then the tries began to flow, Dobbo gathering whatever ball BH kicked over and stepping and dummying everyone for fun, getting over the line himself and offloading to Shirley who beat the wing and fullback for pace, sprinting from the halfway line into the corner in front of an adoring crowd. Patrick Hilley showed why pace men work at inside centre as well as out wide, linking up well with Rory at 10 to step everyone and get over the try line (he did it a second time later as well….I forget when exactly).

Hampstead’s scrum managed to upset Black Horses main strength area, the great hooking of Mark Harrison pinching their ball as often as they won it themselves, but they didn’t put their heads down and whenever they had their chance to batter back into Hampstead’s half they did and after a sustained period of attack they got themselves over and added their own points to the game. An angered Hampstead went straight back at them though and JB, putting in a man of the match performance, sniped his way around the ruck and sprinted his way over the line.

After being threatened with being subbed, Ian Panton promptly showed why the selectors are idiots..I’ll allow him to explain with this handy schematic he emailed me (See Below) Special mention to Shirley and his wasted run.

We subbed him anyway.

Rich Young came on and promptly (with a little help from Dobbo) scored, and after another 50 yard dash from JB, offloaded through Rich, Corey Dudgeon strolled over the line for the first props try. One of the second rows got over for a try, it might have been McGarrity, whoever it was he scored a second, so it probably wasn’t McGarrity. Paul Van De Hende powered through from the 22 to make the 2nd of the props try’s of the day. Though the Horse managed to battle through and get over the try line again it was certainly Hampstead’s day and a marker was set for next weeks trip to OA’s 5